Northridge Women Third, Men Fifth at Cal-Nevada Championships

Mar 27, 2011

March 27, 2011

CLAREMONT, Calif. -
Cal State Northridge posted a pair of top-five team finishes as the Matador women were third and the men's team was fifth at the Cal-Nevada Championships Saturday and Sunday at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps' Burns Track Complex.

The CSUN women tallied 89 points which trailed only San Diego State (132) and Sacramento State (121.50) among the 23 women's teams competing. The men scored a total of 78 points to finish fifth behind Long Beach State (155), UC Irvine (96), UCSB (88) and Sacramento State (87.50) in the 21-team men's field.

Senior Desirae Gonder led the Matador women by scoring 18 points in two events. Gonder won the high jump with a season-best 5-8.75 (1.75) to earn 10 points and also earned eight points in the long jump with a career-best of 19-6.25 (5.95). Her best jump came on her sixth and final jump of the competition.

Senior Lilyana Morejon also scored a win for the Matadors after running a season-best 17:13.14 to claim the 5,000 meters. Yvonne Castillo-Urbina also picked up a single point in the grueling 10,000 meters as she finished ninth in a season-best 38:00.12.

Jackie Harrison and Jasmine Cox tallied 12 points in the 400 meters as Harrison finished third in 55.02 and Cox was fifth in 56.17. The 400 meter hurdles were also fruitful for Northridge as Ashley Frazier was fourth in 62.15 to earn six points while Shane Mullany-Banks was seventh in 62.97 to earn three points.

Sherrina Lofton and Precious Watkins finished fourth and fifth respectively in the 100 meters as Lofton clocked a season-best time of 11.96 and Watkins ran a season-best 12.07. The duo added a total of 11 points to the Matador cause. Lofton and Watkins also qualified for the 200 meter final but neither competed after qualifying fourth and eighth in the prelims.

The Matador women dominated the relays with 17 points as the 4x100 relay was first in a time of 46.47 and the 4x400 relay was third in 3:45.66.

In the field events, five other Matadors scored in addition to Gonder. Sophomore Tiana Webberley finished fifth in the pole vault with a season-best of 12-5.50 (3.80) to earn 4.5 points. Whitney Hooks earned three points in the shot put with a best of 45-9 (13.94) to finish seventh. Haylee Varner was eighth in the javelin with a top throw of 129-4 (39.43) for two points and Olympia Jewett scored 1.5 points for her eighth place finish in the high jump (5-3).

The men's team received strong performances from Carl Horsley, David Reid as the Matadors scored 47 of their 78 points in the sprints. Horsley, a freshman from Oakland, won the 100 meters in 10.63 after clocking a season-best 10.57 in the prelims. Reid was fourth in the 100 in 10.72 after clocking a season-best 10.63 in the prelims. The roles were then reversed in the 200 as Reid was first in a season-best 21.33 while Horsley was fourth in 21.47.

Michael Woodham was fourth in the prelims and then took fourth in the final of the 110 meter hurdles after running 14.56 to earn six points. The CSUN 4x100 relay team took home the top time of 41.06 while the 4x400 team finished fifth in 3:19.98.

In the distance races, Juan Olea finished sixth in the 10,000 meters in a season-best time of 32:33.58 and Cesar Lopez was ninth in 33:29.76 to earn an additional five points for the men's squad.

In the field events for the men, Thomas Johnson continued his impressive early season with a second place finish in the high jump to pick up eight points. Johnson cleared 6-8.75 (2.05) while Jonathan Talkington was sixth at 6-4.75 to earn four points. Senior Matt Todd wrapped up the Matador scoring by finishing second in the pole vault with a career-best height of 16-4.75 (5.00). Todd earned eight points for his efforts.